Jamaican businesses across a range of industries are being promised improved service and efficiency from the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), following a series of operational transformations within the ministry and its agencies.

The upgrades were revealed to the business community on January 18 during a brand relaunch event hosted by the MIIC at the AC Hotel in St Andrew.

JAMAICA’S BUSINESS MINISTRY

Outlining the significance of rebranding, Senator Aubyn Hill, minister of industry, investment and commerce, said: “The occasion of rebranding for business is invariably the culmination of serious review, open discussion within a firm, and much thought given to the strategy and direction of the business. What is true of such a process in the private sector is even more fundamentally true when there is an occasion to rebrand an entire ministry.”

Hill continued: “We have seen it necessary to rebrand the Ministry – Jamaica’s Business Ministry. When you think about business, we want you to think of us. We’re ensuring we have all the necessary
avenues to help you.”

It also supports the further development of the National Quality Infrastructure, the building of a National Quality Culture and the implementation of the International Quality Management System Standard, ISO 9001:2015, as well as other international management systems standards.

Seven agencies under the MIIC have qualified for ISO 9001 certification. ISO is a set of five quality management systems standards that help organisations ensure they meet customer and other stakeholder needs within statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. This is another significant step for the Ministry in streamlining processes and increasing efficiency.

“The redesign of the ministry’s brand is of great significance as we transform and seek to provide greater guidance to and stimulate opportunities for our Jamaican business people,” Sancia Bennet-Templer, permanent secretary of the ministry said.

BOLD, AMBITIOUS DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

She continued: “The rebranding is to re-energise the ministry’s mission and vision to support businesses.

“The global economy is undergoing a transition. The MIIC looks forward to empowering our business people to continue growing and changing with the rest of the world. The ministry continues to pursue a bold and ambitious development agenda. Our people are talented and innovative, and it is our priority to continue facilitating and enabling exports and encouraging investment.”

Hill noted that “the adoption of a National Quality Infrastructure means building trust for trade, which is especially significant for an emerging economy like Jamaica. It indicates that our products and services meet international standards, and contributes considerably to the competitiveness of the nation’s economy and industry. As such, the Ministry will continue to advocate for businesses to get ISO certified as we know the long-term benefits it will bring to them”.